We all know the benefits of cooking healthy meals from scratch at home; it’s so much cheaper and better for you. But we don’t have unlimited hours in the day and can't spend all our time slaving away in the kitchen. So in this blog I'm sharing my top 10 kitchen tools to make from scratch cooking quick and easy.

Jump to:
- Top 10 kitchen tools
- Why I love cooking food from scratch
- My favourite kitchen appliances
- 1. Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer
- 2. Bench top mixer
- Cookware
- 3. Stainless Steel Saucepans
- 4. Glass Cooking Bowls
- 5. Cast Iron Skillet
- Must-have preserving and fermenting tools
- 6. Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars
- 7. Wide Mouth Funnel
- 8. Jar Lifter
- Making sourdough bread from scratch
- 9. Bread Making Starter Kit
- 10. Flour Scoop
- Comments
Top 10 kitchen tools
In this blog I'm sharing ten of the actual appliances and tools I use in my kitchen every day to cook nourishing real food for my family.
Over the past ten years I have tried and tested some of the leading brands to find what works best and what to avoid.
Why I love cooking food from scratch
Cooking from scratch helps you:
- use quality ingredients
- save money
- enjoy greater freshness and nutrition
- avoid preservatives
- avoid inflammatory oils and refined sugar, and most importantly;
- and most importantly have fun in the kitchen!
Watch the video
My favourite kitchen appliances
I like to keep a minimalist kitchen and avoid having too many bench top appliances taking up previous space. However beyond the toaster and kettle there are a couple of kitchen appliances I just couldn't live without. Here are the kitchen appliances that make my top 10 kitchen tools list.
1. Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and Amazon.com (USA and other readers)
I am not exaggerating when I tell my friends that this is a life changing appliance. It's almost like having a full-time kitchen hand in your very own home. I can slow cook bone broth, make my own long-fermented yogurt, pressure cook the most amazing tender dinners and air fry crispy snacks all in one appliance. It's also saved me a lot of bench space by combining an air fryer, slow cooker and pressure cooker all in one.
2. Bench top mixer
The Sunbeam The Master One bench top mixer is available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and a similar option from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
Perfect for mixing and kneading this mixmaster has the extra power required to tackle more advanced techniques such as bread making. I love the dough hook for making sourdough bread, and the whisk attachment to quickly beat eggs for pavlova. I also have the Sunbeam Glass Bowl Attachment 5L for making sourdough (metals can react with the mixture), plus it's handy to have that second bowl when you've got multiple recipes on the go.
Cookware
If you're taking the time to cook from scratch with quality ingredients, you'll want to be sure you're using the healthiest cookware too.
The general rule is if it's non-stick, then avoid it like the plague. Teflon coatings are notorious for off-gassing toxic fumes, which can even kill small birds! In my opinion, quality stainless steel, glass and cast iron are the only way to go.
3. Stainless Steel Saucepans
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and similar option from Amazon.com (USA and other readers). Note: The exact pans I use aren't available anymore, so I have linked the latest model.
I bought my set of stainless steel saucepans over 10 years ago and they're still going strong. Perfect for rice, pasta, soups, jam and preserves, these pans are make from the highest quality stainless steel for durability and safe cooking. A really handy feature is the contents measure markings inside the pans, so you can easily fill them to the the required level. Plus I love using glass lids so I can keep and eye on the contents while cooking.
4. Glass Cooking Bowls
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and similar option from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
These are technically called casserole bowls but what I find them really useful is for steaming fruit and vegetables in the microwave. I have stopped cooking in plastic in the microwave, and these glass bowls are a much safer and more durable option. They are easy to clean and stain proof. I use them every day.
5. Cast Iron Skillet
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and similar option from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
Well-seasoned cast Iron is naturally non-stick, making this the perfect pan for frying and baking. I use my cast iron skillet every day to fry sourdough pancakes and fritters, and bake sourdough pizza bases. I use it so often is just lives on top of my stove, I never put it away, and rarely wash it. So simple! The trick is to always preheat cast iron before using it. It lasts forever and withstands super hot temperatures, so it really is a great investment.
Must-have preserving and fermenting tools
6. Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
Beware of cheap imitations! Not only will you find it impossible to find replacement lids, essentially making cheap jars single use items, but cheaper jars may not be guaranteed to withstand the high heat of proper canning processes.
I like to use the wide mouth jars as I find them to be versatile and easy to fill. I find this half quart size/16 Oz (470 ml) is perfect for homemade mayonnaise, sauces, jams, chutneys and vegetable ferments.
The Ball jars are compatible with fermenting weights and lids from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and Amazon.com (USA and other readers), which make home fermenting a cinch.
7. Wide Mouth Funnel
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
I will never go back to filling mason jars without a wide mouth funnel! This hardly little tool makes it super easy to fill jars without the food becoming stuck in the funnel, and it's plastic free which makes sterilising really easy.
8. Jar Lifter
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
When I make preserves using the water bath method, this jar lifter is essential to be able to remove jars safely from the pot of boiling water. I love it.
Making sourdough bread from scratch
9. Bread Making Starter Kit
Available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and similar from from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
I love making sourdough bread from scratch. To make those beautiful artisans loafs, you'll need a couple of basic tools. I found this kit from Koala Baking has everything I need at a great price.
10. Flour Scoop
When it comes to bread making I also like to keep a beechwood Flour scoop (AU readers, or similar for USA and other readers) in my flour jars, and have a second banneton proofing basket (AU readers, or similar for USA and other readers) on hand as many recipes yield two loaves.
So there you have it, my top 10 kitchen tools to help make from-scratch cooking quick and easy. If there's a kitchen gadget you can't live without, share it with me using the comment tool below!
Ready to get cooking? Head over to my recipe collection and try one of my wholesome recipes.
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